Quinoa is one of those grains you should incorporate into your diet if you haven’t already. With its delicate, nutty flavor it is high in protein, lysine and other amino acids. A good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, a variety of B vitamins and vitamin E, this ancient staple of the Incas is a superfood! For the quinoa tabouleh you will need:

quinoa tabouleh

1 cup dried quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 Roma tomatoes

1 small cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, chopped

3/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

sea salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring the quinoa and 2 cups water to boil. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Prepare all other ingredients, and when the quinoa is finished, combine quinoa, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, mint leaves and salt & pepper in a large serving bowl. When you are ready to eat, drizzle salad with olive oil and lemon juice.

This is a super healthy dish that makes an excellent meal in itself by adding your favorite bean (ie. garbanzo, adzuki, kidney). Today I’ve made it as a simple side dish to accompany whatever else comes along later in the evening for dinner. I’ve never been enamored by radishes, but in this recipe the mild radish taste is enhanced by the herbs and spiciness of the jalapeno. I hope you will try this at home!

You will need:

1/8 cup jalapeno pepper, diced

1/8 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed

1 tsp. honey

1 tbsp. olive oil

These are the ingredients for the dressing which you can place in a blender and mix for 30 seconds or so. Let the dressing sit while you prepare the slaw.

In a bowl, combine:

2 cups cabbage, chopped

1 cup carrots, sliced, diced, shredded…whatever you prefer

1/8 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/8 cup fresh cilantro

1 cup radish, chopped

Combine the dressing to the slaw, add a dash of salt and pepper and there you have it! Simple, tasty and healthy!

When buying papayas, look for fruits that have a yellowish rind with little or no spots or bruises. Pair this recipe with just about anything…rice, quinoa, chips and salsa, a more traditional salad-or let it stand alone as a light meal. It’s essential to include a good percentage of raw foods into your diet and this is an excellent recipe with which to start.

Serves: 2-4.

Ingredients:

3 ripe papayas, divided

1 cup avocado, diced

1/3 cup raw macadamia nuts, chopped

1 tbsp. parsley, mint or cilantro, minced

3 tbsp. lime juice

2 tbsp. onion, chopped

1 cup arugula, romaine or any other salad green, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Halve 2 papayas and scoop out seeds. Set halves aside. Peel remaining papaya, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut peeled papaya halves into 1/2-inch dice, and place in medium bowl. Add avocado chunks, macadamia nuts, parsley, lime juice, and onion to diced papayas in bowl, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in arugula. Fill papaya halves with salad, and serve immediately.

While I have yet to master the art of baking, and have limited kitchen supplies in my little Hawaiian bungalow, these wholesome vegan treats turned out to be surprisingly delicious. They are not meant to be sweet-better as a breakfast food when your taste buds are less judgemental in an “I want sugar” kind of way.

Please bare with my use of mugs for muffin tins and funny measurements (again limited kitchen utensils). We enjoyed these for breakfast with some vegan butter spread and a little jam.

In a large bowl mix all the “dry” ingredients together. In another bowl mix all the “wet” ingredients. Slowly add the wet to the dry. Spoon batter into your mugs or tins, then sprinkle the tops with coconut.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. I baked mine for 30 minutes because the batter was divided into only 4 large mugs. If you use a standard muffin tin, this recipe should make approx. 12 muffins and will only need about 20 minutes in the oven. You be the judge.

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